The Challenge and a Cocktail….Watermelon Mojito

August 24, 2011

A few weeks back I was nominated for the Challenge that has been sweeping through the blogs recently. A challenge to select 7 posts in various categories. Karen at Back Road Journal had flattered me with this nomination. Flattered because as many as you know, this blog was just a way to get my recipes to my daughter and family, but now has included so many wonderful new friends!

With cocktail in hand, I sat myself down to ponder my posts. But first the drink. One of the things I like to do is take some of my freshly purchased fruit and macerate it in either rum or vodka in either my cocktail shaker or glass pitcher. Adding in either fresh mint leaves when using the rum or basil when using the vodka. I place it in the fridge and then by the weekend I can simply strain it out to make a cocktail. It’s along the lines of flavoring rum or vodka. Plus the alchohol keeps the fruit “preserved”!

It hardly seemed like a blog worthy idea, but the other day I spotted Juliana’s post at Simple Recipes on Infused Strawberry Martini using a similar concept. Greg at Rufus Guide to Food and Spirits also posted a watermelon cooler with a kick early this summer too.

Since moving toFlorida, Mojitos have become a favorite of mine. I like the simple refreshing taste of the mint and began trying out different fruits to flavor the rum. Instead of a simply syrup I use agave. And after the liquid has been all used for the drink, I can enjoy a slushy, tipsy fruit treat! (You can find the recipe following my challenge results at the bottom of this post.)

And now the Challenge and my 7 picks:

The most beautiful post. I guess it would be my Dulce de Leche Ice Cream Cake. The layers of ice cream and chocolate covered strawberries always get the most oohs and aahs when its presented and served!

For the most controversial, I will have to pass on that one as of yet, I’ve not posted anything to cause controversy!

My most helpful post is for Ghee and actually does not have any comments, however, it is one that I always refer to when family or friends are at my home and ask about the “butter” I am using. It adds such a unique nuttiness and intense flavor to my dishes. It’s also dairy free and can stay out on my counter for weeks which always takes my friends by surprise!

The most surprisingly successful was my Guava and Cheese Quesadilla. I posted this as a reminder when I saw the ballet of Romeo and Juliet, a simple quesadilla with a simple filling but surprisingly drew alot of interest!

The post that did not get the attention it deserved was my White Wine Soup. I adore this soup. It’s so uniquely flavored and a classy soup to serve to guests.

The post that I am most proud of is my mother’s Italian Easter Egg Cookies. I really never ran into anyone else who had made these outside of our family. Among my sister and cousins we all tried to recreate the recipe our mothers made every year never quite getting it right. This recipe posted was my successful tweaked version from the vague notes she had written.

And now for a drink!

Watermelon Mojito

Makes 2 drinks

For the Watermelon Rum:

2 cups chopped watermelon

4 oz rum….or more

4 fresh mint leaves

1 teaspoon agave or more to taste

1 quarter of lime

Combine all in a sealed container, mashing well and refrigerate overnight or 2-3 days.

For two Mojitos:

12 fresh mint leaves

2 quarters of lime

2 oz club soda

For each Mojito: In a tall glass crush 6 mint leaves with a lime quarter to release their oils. Fill glass with ice halfway up. Shake the watermelon rum mix and Pour in 2 oz of strained watermelon rum into the glass. Top with 1 oz of club soda. Garnish and serve!

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I love being in the kitchen. Early mornings, soft music, a hot espresso. Easing into the preparation of delicious meals. Glancing through cookbooks, gathering inspiration and planning my day. I look forward to the cycles of the seasons, the pleasures of tasting and savoring and sharing this with those dear to me. Weekends are special to me as my week days are often rushed, but still I create the ambiance, light the candles, set the table and uncork the wine.

30 Comments

I published before I rememebered that I must pass along this to 5 other bloggers! I do apoligize as I was going to remark that I am opening this to anyone who would like to participate in sharing their favorites. It was a fun experience to browse through my own blog and come up with these categories! I hope you will as well join this challenge!

Well, let me say I love that your first response was to get yourself a cocktail! Saluti!
Now, I really do need to spend more time going through your blog. Your Easter egg cookies, and the story that went with them, are wonderful! I’m going to ask around my family to see if anyone else has seen or heard of them. I really enjoy “coming here,” Linda. You’ve got a great blog.

I love this cocktail! I’ve never had a mojito before…but it looks wonderful. And all of these watermelon drinks are so tempting. I’m looking forward to going through some of the past recipes I missed – especially the white wine soup. That sounds right up my alley!

So glad you did the 7 links – it allows me to discover posts I hadn’t seen before like your Guava and Cheese Quesadilla – wow! I just love that one and the ice cream cake looks rather wonderful too! Mojitos are in my top 2 favourite drinks (along with margs) – this one looks delicious with watermelon – and what a beautiful photo!

Congratulations on taking up the challenge. I loved reading each of your choices, especially since some were before I started blogging. It must be fate that I posted a cocktail recipe today also. So I will end by saying, Salute!

Great round-up… I absolutely agree with the the post on ghee… that’s motivating me to make a batch of my own now! The white wine soup sounds very interesting too. My father would love it especially I think 🙂 Hope you’re having a good day and that watermelon mojito… looks divine. So refreshing! 🙂

Being rather new I had not seen a lot of your recipes! Your ice cream cake not only looks delicious and beautiful – I’m sure it tastes wonderful, too! The White Wine Soup is definitely one I want to try! Congratulations on a challenge will done!

I am so glad I’m catching up on reading my emails, I almost missed this post! Great roundup of recipes, I’m actually bookmarking this post to reference all of the recipes. We are having a neighborhood block party this weekend along with two other parties with Italian relatives and can’t wait to try some of your recipes out.Definitely the drinks are going to be a winner and the dolce de leche cake would be perfect to bring for dessert. The white wine soup looks good too but will wait for a cold day to make.Have a great day!